Terrible and Wonderful
by TigressDreamer
Summary: Long after the events of the movie, Griselda reflects back on things that have happened before and after that fateful day as she waits alone one night. (Companion piece to Beautiful and Ugly but can be read alone.)


**Disclaimer for the story: Sadly, I do not own Strange Magic, although I do have the DVD that I play once a week. (To which I discovered that it appears that Griselda has perfectly manicured nails and wears nail polish. Either she does it herself or there is a nail salon in the Dark Forest. Headcannon, Ahoy!)**

**In response to Orchid being an unreliable narrator in Beautiful and Ugly, I tried to write something to clear up the discrepancies caused by her POV. The first draft was a second chapter that was also her POV that involved more about her and Roland's interactions but she still resisted facing the full truth, the stubborn goblin sprite (which I still have btw and am debating whether to post it or not). I had the mind to add Bog and Marianne to it but they both didn't like the idea. Griselda offered to do it and it evolved into more than I was planning, so she got her own story. Constructive advice is appreciated but please refrain from criticism. Enjoy!**

**You know what's worse than reading an incomplete story that has slow or no updates? Having your own story that has slow to no updates. Umm, my work-in-progress concerning the Lughnasa sequel to Wild Love has...stalled. I want to write but at the same time, I don't want to write and anything I write is of questionable quality, at least to me. I want to get to the good part! :'( Even worse is the fact that I can't wait for you to read a certain scene concerning Sunny and Dawn that I'm very proud of but I won't post incomplete stories because I edit them too much.**

**You know the true difference between 'real authors' and fanfic writers? A 'real author' only writes to get paid, a fanfic writer writes because they want to read the story circulating in their brain and that requires them to write it since the story evolves as it is written and because a fanfic writer enjoys the story they will share it with others for them to enjoy it as well whether they get paid or not. If you enjoy your story, whether based on someone else's or is an original, you are a fanfic writer! Don't lose yourself! It's great to get paid in money or/and compliments but you write for yourself first and foremost! Enjoy yourself! (I've had to remind myself of this and I figured I'd mention it in case someone else needed to remind themselves too.)**

**(Slight edit as of October 15, 2020)**

Griselda had always believed that life is a mix of terrible and wonderful, balanced in a way to make you truly grateful for what you have. Sometimes, though, the terrible moments made a more lasting impression.

Her pain was indescribable the day that Bog became the only family left in her life. It had seemed to cancel out all those wonderful moments she had enjoyed before and the terrible grief was a heavy burden upon her. Only the knowledge that her wonderful son would be truly alone if anything happened to her had kept her going.

Her heart was crushed again that terrible day he returned home with his heart broken. Her precious boy was hurting so badly and she couldn't do anything. She tried to comfort him but he even turned away from her, refusing to tell her what happened as he closed himself off. They were so close before and now the distance was as if the whole Dark Forest was between them.

The day he imprisoned the Sugar Plum Fairy and declared a ban on love, she figured out the gist of what happened. She had tried talking to Plum but that crazy female refused to tell her anything...well, anything but the fact that she was innocent.

Bah! There is nothing innocent about a love potion and she even told the daft creature that. Surely Plum could see how heartbroken her son was over whatever that terrible potion of hers did.

No amount of arguing worked, though. Plum still maintained that she was guiltless for whatever happened and Bog refused to talk about it, his emotions switching from violent outburst to a terrible sorrow that crushed her own heart to see him suffer so.

Griselda had waited as patiently as she could through that terrible time but then she couldn't take it anymore. Her wonderful son was still hurting and she refused to sit idly by. She didn't know how long she had left to stay in this world and leaving Bog alone was too terrible a thought to consider. So she did what she had to do, no matter how much her son grumbled and complained.

It was all Griselda could do not to laugh as her son tried to reign in his temper in front of the eligible females. He always had the habit to try and hide his aggressive qualities from females, those that worked or lived in the castle were excluded from that, and she wondered at times if it was that behavior that caused whatever happened with the female he was interested in. It wouldn't be real if you weren't accepted for all of you, so she easily weeded out those that wouldn't fit her son by making sure to introduce them during the times that he was easy to trick into snapping.

She just didn't realize how many eligible females in the Dark Forest didn't have a backbone.

The only good thing to come out of it was that Bog stopped that heartbreaking mopping all year round. He still had trouble during spring but as the years went by, it was a lot easier to get him to snap out of it, even if she did have to bite her own tongue to not snap back at him.

Then that fateful day happened.

It was wonderful as she watched Bog meet his match, a fairy princess who had the same amount of bark as he did and probably twice the bite. She was perfect! Griselda knew it the moment she saw her and made sure the pair spent as much time as possible together that wasn't devoted to the mess that Plum caused.

She nearly throttled that crazy creature when she brought up the circumstances surrounding Bog's heartbreak. Not only was it inappropriate to tell it to the female that Bog was now interested in but it was terrible that Plum kept such an important detail secret from him. Then she dared to blame it on Bog! While Griselda may have been a little upset to learn that her son had used a love potion, none of this would have happened if Plum explained the whole effects of it or just didn't make it in the first place.

If it wasn't for the wonderful fairy princess rushing to console Bog and admitting her own heartbreak, Griselda would have yelled Plum's ears off. Instead, she headed to bed with an assurance that everything would be alright now as the pair left the castle for a night flight.

How she wished that she hadn't forgotten about everything else!

It wasn't until the warning was sounded and she was startled awake that she remembered about the fact that Bog had kidnapped the younger fairy princess. Everything had gone quickly from there and the wonderful night turned into a terrible one as she watched her home crumble. She was grateful for Plum's rescue but watching the old castle collapse with her son still inside made her wish that she was still trapped.

Her precious boy, that last joy in her life, was gone.

All the hope that had filled her heart as she watched him court the fairy princess in his unique way became poison rotting her from the inside out. She never admitted it to anyone but she had a terrible hatred for every single one of those fairies and elves at that moment. It was only the tears from the fairy princess that kept her from ordering her son's subjects to attack.

Those tears were the same tears that she herself had shed the day her own true love had died and her heart broke all the more as she looked at the broken figure collapsed in front of her. She, at least, had wonderful memories of her son to comfort her in her grief but the fairy princess had so very little.

Griselda knew that she would blame herself for the terrible outcome and those few wonderful memories would no doubt be tainted by guilt. She would probably think that Bog died blaming her too, the poor dear. But the mother knew her son very well and she knew that he knew that he messed up when he ordered her to be restrained.

She had already decided to reassure the fairy princess when her heart's terrible pain was eased at the sight of Bog rising from his almost grave. It was such a wonderful moment and she couldn't stop her feet from rushing to him even if she had the mind to.

Now one would think that after nearly losing her precious son that she would never let go of him again but there was no way that she was going to let another second pass by while certain things were left unresolved and she wasted no time before dragging Bog to the relieved fairy princess. It was as plain as the hair on her head that they needed to talk before anything else happened. With the pair still suffering from the terrible pain of possibly never seeing each other again, she knew the pair would quickly confess their blossoming love and everything would turn out wonderful.

Then that terrible male fairy interfered again. Not that she was worried, mind you, because Plum said her potion couldn't work on someone who was already in love but what an inconvenience that scoundrel was! She could just see Bog's insecurities starting to rise to the surface once Marianne elegantly dispatched the annoyance. Her son clearly had too much time to think and was determined to make himself miserable.

Did he really think that she would let him? Hah! Good thing the younger fairy princess was just as fed-up with the pair's terrible awkwardness as she was and had just the idea to make those two admit their feelings.

It was also a good thing that her elf friend suggested using the opposite kingdoms' subjects to keep their royals from ordering them to stop. She nearly ruined the plan by laughing when Bog glared at her for the underhanded trick of cornering him with the elves and they showed no cowering to his intimidation.

That isn't to say that he wasn't grateful for her pushing and he even thanked her later...much, much, later.

Griselda chuckles at that thought, pausing only a moment to rub her tired eyes before returning to her knitting with a sigh. She should really be getting to bed but there is no way she is doing so before she knows that Bog is back home where he's safe.

No matter how irrational her worry may be considering how wonderful everything has been, she just can't help it!

Though, in truth, it isn't just the worry that keeps her from closing her eyes. She knows what will happen if she does fall asleep before she sees that he's home. It's always the same dream about that terrible moment the old castle collapsed with him clutched in the dragon skull's maw. She'd relive the same terrible anguish she felt that day as the castle disappeared to the stream bed below and the sun began to rise with no sign of her precious son's survival.

Sometimes the dreams stop at that point, repeating over and over until she wakes up disorientated and heartbroken. Worse are the times where the nightmare continues and instead of Bog rising from the collapsed debris with only a dislocated arm as his worst injury, the search party would find his broken body among the rubble. She always screamed herself awake during those times and would sometimes lie in bed sobbing at the terrible pain resonating in her soul.

She remembers clearly the first time she fell asleep when Bog was late returning home. It was only a few days after the castle's destruction and Bog had rushed into her bedchambers at her scream. He was exhausted from his late work but it didn't stop his fierce protection of his mother and he quickly scanned the dimly-lit winter burrow room for danger before fretting over her and demanding to know if she was alright. Only those wonderful blue eyes staring at her in concern could erase that terrible image of those same eyes glossed over in death and the pain in her heart was quickly banished once she assured herself that her wonderful son was still alive.

She avoided answering what her nightmare was about and stopped his fussing almost immediately when she asked about the familiar lip-shaped bilberry stains adorning his throat. His flustered reaction before hastily exiting her chambers ensured that she had the most wonderful dreams once she snuggled back into bed with a beaming smile on her lips.

Sometimes Bog would still not be home when she screamed herself awake and instead, equally-concerned amber eyes greeted her. It was harder to shake off Marianne's worries since the younger female knew what the terrible nightmare was. She hadn't told anyone about what she dreamed but Marianne knew without being told. The first time, just a few months after the terrible event, Marianne even confessed that she too had dreams where Bog laid dead because of her.

Her poor son came home to two weepy females that night but he bore their clinging with good grace as he told them about the events that kept him out late.

Though she had realized almost from the beginning that the nightmares only came when she went to sleep while Bog was not home, she had just assumed it was random which nightmare she dreamed. It wasn't until a few months ago when both Bog and Marianne were late returning home that she realized the reason for the difference between the two recurring nightmares.

"You should be in bed," Bog reprimands with a growl.

Griselda rolls her eyes and huffs with a smirk, laying her knitting on her lap before turning her attention to the pair walking into the sitting room. She almost tries to shrug off that she wasn't tired but a badly-timed yawn makes the truth obvious.

"I didn't want to wait until tomorrow to hear the news," Griselda comments instead. "How'd everything go?"

"Very good. There wasn't a single complication," Marianne answers as she walks toward the crackling fireplace. "Orchid and Roland are now the proud parents of a pair of healthy girls."

"That's a hoot!" Griselda laughs. "Nothing like some daughters to raise a little chaos!"

"And it's already working so well," Marianne chuckles. "Roland is completely freaked out by the thought that his daughters will be drawing the attention of flirting males."

"They were just born yesterday morning," Griselda deadpans.

"If there is any good quality that maggot has, it would be that he looks to the future and plans ahead," Bog mutters, joining Marianne's side and sighing at the warmth caressing his carapace.

"I doubt Orchid will let him get away with locking the girls in the house, though, so he better think of something else," Marianne snickers.

Griselda shakes her head in amusement as she places the primrose yarn back into the basket beside her chair before placing the unfinished project on top. Of all the things to come forth from that fateful day, that situation was the most unexpected and surprising.

Once the guards finally found that scoundrel two days after the castle's destruction, they didn't bring him back alone but with a female goblin sprite trailing after begging for his release. She had recognized Orchid as one of the females she presented to Bog but the young female was now spouting declarations of love to Roland, declarations that were shockingly being returned with equal fervor. Plum quickly checked the pair but discovered that only Roland was dusted with the cursed love potion and Bog sent Orchid home with the hope that her infatuation was temporary.

That hope died a terrible death when a letter came from Orion a few months later demanding to know what happened to his daughter's fairy lover and to inform them of her pregnancy with Roland's offspring. It left both kings with few options and they agreed to Orion's proposal of placing the imprisoned fairy under house arrest in his clan's territory.

It took a lot of work to convince Plum to make a love potion for the sole purpose of keeping Roland spelled but even she couldn't argue against a plan that would keep Orchid from being stressed to the point of losing her infant. No matter what anyone said, the proud young female refused to believe that Roland only loved her because of being love-dusted, so it was for the best to keep that scoundrel in love with her until after the danger passed.

There was some speculation that dealing with the vain male day in and day out might change the love-struck female's opinion about his supposed perfection but it didn't. Orchid's love remained even when Roland said terrible things to her after the love potion's hold was broken earlier than expected after he looked into a mirror.

Bog had given Roland the option of either returning to the dungeons or being nice to Orchid as if his life depended on it, a very real possibility. Roland had chosen to be re-dusted, claiming that he wasn't a good enough actor to be nice to a terrible goblin.

Although, for all her deliberate blindness to the situation, Orchid did not tolerate all the scoundrel's faults. As evidenced a few months ago when Bog and Marianne were called by the guards to settle Orchid and Roland's day-old argument since Orchid refused to leave the house until Roland admitted that she was right. Marianne talked to the fuming pregnant female while Bog reminded Roland of his own 'delicate condition'.

To this day, no one knows what possessed Bog to make such a terrible decision to actually eat the food that caused the argument. Two females panicking at the sight of him picking up a spoon of the supposed stew should have been a big clue not to do it.

Orchid won the argument and happily kicked her lover out of the kitchen, Roland pouted at being forbidden to ever cook again by royal decree, and Marianne nursed the sick Bog back to health while his mother laughed at his foolishness once she was assured that he wasn't poisoned on purpose.

The only good thing to come out of that mess was the discovery that Roland was acting cordial to Orchid without being love-dusted. The guards had actually re-dusted him the day before but the potion hadn't work.

Plum commented that all Roland really needed was someone who loves him and genuinely cares for him but doesn't put up with any of his terrible behavior...or his terrible cooking.

Another yawn forces Griselda to reluctantly pull herself from her comfortable seat and she heads toward to door, wrapping her shawl tighter around her at the slight chill. She may have wanted to hear more of the day's events but at this rate, she'll probably fall asleep before making it to bed. There isn't a need to worry now that her wonderful son is home again, safe and sound.

"What's funny?" Griselda questions as Marianne giggles.

"It's just that you reminded me what we discovered today when you adjusted your shawl," Marianne answers. "Did you know fairies have carapaces?"

"What?" Griselda asks in confusion.

"When we arrived at Stoney Ridge, Gort warned me not to take off my traveling cloak since he noticed that I was wearing a different outfit than the first time I visited there a few months ago and it turns out that the goblin sprites there think that our clothing and armor are carapaces," Marianne explains.

"What! How dumb can they be? No, don't answer that," Griselda groans, ignoring the laughter. "I can understand their confusion what with that village being so far from the border but not all goblin types have carapaces and some wear clothing, so it's not really an excuse. Why didn't those guards correct them?"

"They figured that since Bog and Dad were being lenient for the sake of not stressing Orchid out during her pregnancy that it'd be best not to say anything," Marianne comments. "They also didn't say anything to Bog about it during one of his trips because they figured they'd survive longer if they avoid telling their grumpy king something that would upset him."

"You would be upset too if they believed that you'd approve of punishing someone by having their carapace ripped from them! That's just...," Bog pauses to shudder. "That's just barbaric!"

Griselda shudders herself at that thought. She might not have a carapace but it's a terrible image. Now, she'll definitely have to avoid falling asleep while Bog is doing business in Stoney Ridge to avoid seeing that in the nightmare.

"Orchid and Roland's eldest seems to have a yellow-orange carapace, so hopefully Orion won't be too upset at finding out that the green and gold armor that his daughter mistook for a carapace isn't actually part of Roland," Marianne mentions.

"At any rate, Roland can get himself out of that mess," Bog remarks before shaking his head. "He actually had the audacity to gloat about his sexual prowess when I told him about the misunderstanding."

"Seriously?" Marianne deadpans before joining Griselda's laughter. "Next thing you know, that ego-maniac will be taking credit for us being together."

Griselda sighs in contentment as she watches the wonderful scene unfold as her son takes his true love in his arms to deliver a fierce kiss. Sure, the terrible moments may make a lasting impression but the wonderful moments always make everything right. The almost-finished baby blanket catches her eyes and she smiles brightly.

She can't wait until her grandchild is born!

**Tea Blend.**

**Yes, Griselda is making a baby blanket out of yarn made from primrose petals and no, Bog does not know that is what his mother is making.**

**To clarify, I personally don't think that the love potion is permanent. Plum only said that the only antidote was true love but she never said how long it lasted. With how much the movie-her seemed to love love and hated the imp's chaotic version of love, I just got the feeling that it's only temporary, just long enough that the dusted person will truly fall in love with the dustee by seeing how they care for them or for the dustee to realize that this isn't what they want. It also seems that she doesn't give the potion out unless the one asking for it really is in love. Hence, no imps allowed.**

**Also, it doesn't really seem in the movie that the potion has the dusted person act any differently than they probably would normally act while in love, except maybe free of inhibitions and common-sense doubts, and they seem completely aware of everything going on but they just don't care. (Dawn would totally sing cutesy *coughannoyingcough* love songs to Sunny...oh wait, they already did!)**


End file.
